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The Section

About Our Section

The Rocky Mountain Section is based in Canmore and Banff in Alberta - the centre of the Canadian Rocky Mountains, thus the "Rocky Mountain" section.

We are passionate about safely recreating in our beautiful back yard. Every year we post more than a hundred trips into the rockies - mostly technical rock climbing, mountaineering, scrambling, back country skiing and ice climbing, but also some hiking, back packing, and trail running. All of our trips are free to members (unless it is an overnight or multi day trip with paid accomodation).

We really don't do a lot of paddling or biking - unless as an approach to a climb!

We host plenty of social events to allow members to meet each other and get to know potential partners.

Training for Trip Leaders

We offer a lot of free or highly subsidized training to our cadre of trip leader volunteers. Trip leaders are the core of our club - these folks volunteer to coordinate our many back country trips. They are not professional guides (well, actually some of them are, but in our club they are not acting in a paid, professional capacity), but all of our trip leaders have been screened to ensure that they have the skills and experience to lead the trips that they sign up to lead. We also train our leaders to screen participants to ensure that they also have the skills and experience to attend the trips they apply to attend. We also subsidize ropes used by our leaders, and provide grants to leaders for taking relevant courses that are offered by other organizations. Training + skills + experience + screening = more fun & safety in the mountains, fewer epics.

Our Programs

Three of our key programs are BIT, ROCK and ski camps.

Bit Program

The BIT (Backcountry skiers In Training) program is a multi day program designed to introduce competent skiers to the skills required to attend a section back country ski trip. Modules include proper equipment selection, avalanche terrain identification, setting good skin tracks and use of avalanche rescue procedures. The focus is on safe travel on the snow in the back country. The program runs every January and is free to all Rocky Mountain Section members.

Rock Program

The ROCK (Rockies Outdoor Climbing Knowledge) program is designed for folks who have had some climbing experience - usually in indoor gyms - and would like to be safe, competent participants on section traditional multi pitch climbing trips. The program runs in the early summer every year and is free to all Rocky Mountain Section members.

Ski Camps

Most years, the section organizes 3 week long lodge-based ski trips. One is usually to the Campbell Icefields chalet; the other two have been to places such as Powder Creek, Hilda Lodge, Golden Alpine, Kokanee, Icefall, etc. The trips are priced on a break-even basis and are lead by an experienced trip coordinator who organizes daily safety discussions. An application is required.

Our members are an interesting and eclectic bunch - retirees, aspiring guides, soccer moms, weekend warriors, hard core dirt bags, plenty of Calgarians. We would love to have you join us as a member or a trip leader.